


Five Ways Dean Celebrated His Birthday

by why_me_why_not



Category: Supernatural
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 04:14:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29447622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/why_me_why_not/pseuds/why_me_why_not
Summary: Five of Dean's birthdays, spanning his entire life thus far. Originally posted Jan 24 2007.
Kudos: 3





	Five Ways Dean Celebrated His Birthday

_Age 4_

Four was a big number. A good age for a big brother. Dean was full of sugar and excitement, bouncing around the living room with a few of his neighborhood friends. 

"Dean! Quit jumping on my couch and come in here! It's time for cake!" 

The kids ran into the kitchen with a cheer, and Mom helped Dean climb up to kneel on a chair. As everyone was singing, Dean looked from his friends, all wiggling in their seats, to Dad, standing ready with camera, to Mom, leaning beside him with that huge, happy smile that he loved more than sunshine, to the bulge in Mom's belly. The brother or sister who'd be here in a few months.

And Dean knew what to wish for. He closed his eyes and blew out the candles. _I don't want a sister. I wish for a brother, so we can be friends forever._

_Age 12_

Dean walked into the house and froze. He smelled smoke. "Sammy!"

The trail of smoke led to the oven, and a rush of smoke filled the kitchen when Dean yanked open the oven door. He grabbed a towel off the counter, pulled the pan out of the oven, and tossed it in the sink, dousing it in water. 

He quickly opened the windows in the kitchen and made his way through the rest of the house, opening windows and calling for Sam. He found him curled up on the sofa. The damn boy could sleep through anything.

"Sam," Dean said, shaking his brother. "Wake up."

Sam's eyes blinked open. "Dean?" His momentary confusion gave way to tears when he noticed the smokiness in the air. "Your cake!"

Dean closed his eyes for a moment. "You know you're not supposed to use the stove without me or Dad here."

"But it's your birthday! I didn't mean to fall asleep, really! I'm sorry!"

Dean wondered for a second how he was going to fix this one. "Look, why don't we walk down to the store and get another mix. You can make another cake, and I'll make sure it doesn't burn, okay?"

_Age 16_

Turning sixteen was a big deal for most teenagers, but for Dean Winchester it was just another day in another podunk town. Until Sam let it slip to the neighbor's daughter that it was Dean's birthday, and she had cornered him after school.

"So, I know you don't want to make a big deal out of your birthday, but there's a party tonight at Lucas Shepard's. You should come have a few beers with me."

Dean hesitated. It wasn't like he had other plans, and Dad came home to a beer or three nearly every night, so he couldn't say anything about Dean having a couple on his birthday. "Sure. Wanna grab a burger or something first?"

Beer, girls, music. For the first time in a long time, Dean felt like he was part of the crowd, that he was a normal teenager. It wasn't as boring as he had imagined.

Dean didn't feel guilty about skipping out on his dad and brother until he got home and saw what was sitting on the kitchen counter. Sam had mastered baking a cake without setting off the smoke detectors, but the cake looked like it had been iced by a preschooler.

_Age 22_

The waitress winked at Dean as she brought two more beers to their table. She and the bartender both knew Sam was underage, but he was with Dean so they let him slide. And Sam, for once, wasn't resisting, and Dean wasn't sure why not.

"Dude, I'm happy you're celebrating with me and all, but is there a reason you're acting like it's my last birthday? Do you know something I don't?"

Sam shook his head. "Naw, man. How about a toast?" He raised his beer. "To brothers."

Dean echoed the toast, clinked his bottle against Sam's, and took a long swig.

"Dean," Sam said, fidgeting, peeling the label off his beer, "you know that no matter what, we'll always be brothers, right? Even if we're not together?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Just... whatever happens, I want you to know that I'm glad you're my brother."

Dean nodded, even though he didn't understand. Something was up with Sam, with _them_ , and he didn't know what it was or what to do about it. He also didn't know how to tell Sam that the huge ball of worry in the pit of his stomach was a shitty present.

_Age 28_

Dean hoped the chill of the winter air would help clear his head. He was starting to think that it was time for a change. Sure, there were perks to hunting, and they saved people's lives, but look what it had done to his own. Dean had lost Mom, lost Dad. Nearly lost the Impala. He had lost Sam once because of this life; he didn't want to lose him again. Maybe it was time they both got out and made an attempt this whole "normal" and "safe" life that Sam had once been so insistent about pursuing. 

Dean tried to push the thoughts aside before he got back to their efficiency. He didn't want to project his mood onto Sam.

He couldn't help but notice the excited-puppy look on Sam's face when he opened the door. Sam was up to something. "What?" he asked suspiciously.

Sam gestured toward the table, and Dean saw a cake, neatly iced, with Dean's name written in block letters on top. Even in icing, Dean could recognize Sam's scrawl. 

"I see you finally learned to ice a cake," Dean quipped.

"Happy Birthday, Dean," Sam said quietly, handing Dean a beer. "To brothers?"

"To brothers."


End file.
